Looking Forward to Something
by emalinourie
Summary: Callie Torres/Arizona Robbins. This is Arizona's POV of the bathroom kiss and how it came to happen, and how things go on between Arizona and Callie. Basically, these are the GA scenes filled with a little more life.
1. Looking Forward to Something

She liked people. She genuinely liked people. She had always liked them. She liked to observe them, liked to chat with them, liked the contact. And Arizona Robbins was looking forward to meeting new people in Seattle.

When she first started at Seattle Grace a few months back, it hadn't taken her long to make new aquaintances. She tried hard to keep it that way; she had never been shy around people, and she put a lot of effort into appearing friendly and open. She wanted people to like her. She had always been more open with men though, men seemed instantly drawn to her, and she liked it. She was more insecure with women. She craved the companionship of a woman, but she had not made any female acquaintances in Seattle yet. She liked making new acquaintances, but she preferred to live her private life outside the hospital.

She had met Sadie Harris in the locker room. The new intern stared openly at her coming from the shower, and Arizona blushed and quickly put on her clothes. Sadie apologized, and the two women had talked at least for half and hour when Arizona was paged away.

Arizona had come to like Sadie, but tried to make very clear from the beginning that she was not attracted to the blonde girl. She did, however, accept Sadie's invitation to become loosely acquainted, and now and then they went to the cafeteria together to grab a bite and chat. Sadie told her about Meredith Grey, her former closest friend and also short-time girlfriend, and Arizona gathered that it must be hard for Sadie to see Meredith with Cristina Yang and Derek 'McDreamy' Shepherd years later.

Through Sadie, Arizona also learned more about Alex Karev. When Karev had been assigned Arizona's intern, she had gotten to know him a little better. She had not quite known what to make of him, though. He was a natural with the kids, but otherwise he seemed a little brusque and serious. She had seldom seen him smile or even laugh. She had then realized that it must be very hard for him to be around sick kids, as it takes getting used to. Arizona had been around sick children for so long now that she sometimes forgot that doctors not used to pediatrics probably did not have the coping strategies that she had been forced to develop over the years. She sympathized with every kid who died, and if she didn't force herself to concentrate on all the other patients, she would probably go insane. She realized that Alex Karev would have to learn that. It was a hard, but necessary, process.

Sadie also told her about Karev's girlfriend, Izzie Stevens. Izzie and Arizona shared the same past as a model, but Arizona was not keen on telling anyone at Seattle Grace, especially not Sadie. Arizona modelled for a while in highshool to earn the money for med school, but her parents soon put a stop to it, arguing that she didn't need to earn the money and especially not in such a self-revealing way. Arizona was glad she had been very careful not to take any compromising photos, which could endanger her future as a doctor. Apparently, Izzie Stevens had been modelling for sexy underwear, and Arizona was glad that she hadn't. She would have liked to see the photos though, she had to admit. Izzie Stevens was one of the prettiest girls she had ever seen, and she guessed that the pictures must have been stunning, especially if they had been a full two page ad. Alex must be a very lucky guy. If those two ever made it to marriage, they would have very cute babies.

Arizona had always wanted to be a surgeon. She had also always liked children and wanted to have a family of her own. Sent away to boarding school at age twelve, she did not see her parents very often. They had been too busy working and traveling from one surgical conference to the next. She then vowed that she would not do the same to her family. In med school, she had realized that her dreams of a family would probably not turn out the way she had always pictured them. She had fallen in love with her mentor. She hadn't been with the older woman for long, but long enough to realize that she wasn't cut out for the traditional "playing house" family. It was then that she decided that if she probably wasn't cut out to have children of her own, she would be going into pediatrics and become a top-notch pediatric surgeon.

Finally, Sadie told her about Callie Torres. Arizona had wondered for a moment if Sadie was interested in Callie, but she guessed not. Callie shared an easy friendship with Seattle Grace playboy Mark Sloan. Rumor had it that Callie had been involved not only with him, but also with her best friend Dr. Erica Hahn, former head of cardio. From what she heard, Dr. Hahn left Seattle Grace very suddenly and unexpectedly. Sadie mentioned that Callie had seemed heartbroken ever since, so she thought the rumors were probably true.

Mark Sloan, called McSteamy by most of the hospital - Arizona could easily understand why - was now having an affair with Meredith's half-sister Lexie, Sadie told her. That meant he wasn't involved with Callie anymore, Sadie guessed, and Arizona liked to think that Sloan was Callie's friend now. She thought that if the rumors about Callie and Hahn were true, Callie was likely in need of a good friend right now. She felt for the unknown doctor.

But then, in the hallway, on her way to a consult for Dr. Bailey, she saw Callie for the first time. Somehow, she instantly recognized the woman who stood next to Mark Sloan, whispering something in his ear and then giving him a wide smile. He's Callie's confidant, her McProtective, Arizona thought with a smile, and a flash of envy surged through her. She could not take her eyes off the black-haired doctor.

She had pictured Callie differently. She had thought her more conventionally pretty, more like Izzie, but she did not expect this vibrant, curvacious woman with chocolate-brown eyes. Arizona stared at her and tried to think, but her brain was completely empty. She slipped, momentarily forgetting her Heelys, and caught herself in the last moment, feeling a hand grab her right arm.

"You okay?" She looked into Owen Hunt's blue eyes, full of concern. She knew she should be respondig, but the words didn't come.

"Dr. Robbins?"

Forced back into reality, she pulled herself together and forced a broad smile. "Yeah…thanks."

Owen Hunt smiled back, relieved, and headed on. She hoped that no one had seen what had caused her slipping. It was not like her to go all swirly over a beautiful woman, but Arizona's heart fluttered like crazy. She had to admit to herself that Callie Torres had touched something in her and made her feel something she hadn't felt in a long time. Suddenly, she burst with impatient, restless energy.

She tried to calm herself and focus on Bailey. Bailey had paged her and was probably waiting impatiently for her. She hoped it was not another longtime patient of Bailey's. The last time they worked together on a case, Bailey had been so worried that it was next to impossible to work with her. If she could get rid of that, Arizona thought, one day Bailey would make a very good pediatric surgeon. She highly respected the other doctor for her abilities and natural way with children, and she would readily welcome her on her team.

When Arizona got home that night, she was exhausted. Since she had taken over as head of pediatrics a few weeks back, she was always exhausted. She never seemed to get enough sleep, and to catch up on the paperwork seemed to be a Sisyphean challenge. But it was a happy kind of exhaustion. It had been a good day. She felt that she had achieved something, and she liked her new responsibilities.

She peeled off her coat, put down her keys and checked the answering machine. She decided to call her sister Georgia back right now; it had been a while since they last spoke. She missed Georgia terribly, but her sister lived in New York and had just given birth to twin girls. Georgia probably wanted to discuss the christening. Arizona was very proud to be godmother of little Amy. She grabbed the phone, took off her heart-shaped silver earrings, her graduation gift from her sister, put them carefully in a little heart-shaped box in the bedroom, and speed-dialled her sister's number.

When she lay in her bed two hours later, she finally allowed her thoughts to wander back to Callie Torres. Somehow she had managed to not think of the orthopedic surgeon for the rest of the day, but now the memory of Callie fully hit her. She wondered what Callie would look like without her scrubs. With her coloring and complexion, she would probably look stunning in bright colors or in black. Yes, she could picture Callie very well in a hot black dress. She wondered if Callie was ready for a new relationship, or if she was still grieving. What if she wasn't into women after all? She tried to remember what she had heard about Callie to make the picture complete. One thing was for sure, she did not seem to be the easy, superficial kind. She rather liked that. It would probably not be easy to get to know her. She smiled. She was looking forward to getting to know Callie Torres. Finally, she fell in a deep, dreamless sleep.

"Thank God it's Friday", Arizona smiled when she entered the locker room with her derm colleague Trish. The room was nearly empty. She took off her scrubs, took her towel and welcomed the cold shower.

"Dwayne asked if we wanna get a drink at Joe's with him", Trish called, but Arizona could barely understand her under the water.

Finished with her shower, she wrapped herself into the towel, when Trish followed her into the shower room. "What do you say?"

"Joe's? Yeah, sounds good."

Arizona took her time getting dressed. For almost two weeks now, she had been choosing her clothes more carefully, in the vague hope of maybe coming across Callie somewhere. Arizona was now wearing a very becoming grey v-neck shirt with a black jacket. She was proud of her figure and liked the way the plunging neckline accentuated her breasts. She brushed her wavy blonde hair until it was all shiny and put on some make-up, mascara and light pink lipstick. She felt very pretty today. A few hours at Joe's with her colleagues would be fun.

When Trish and Arizona arrived at Joe's, she saw Dwayne sitting at the square bar corner. "Hey ladies", he waved at them. He was wearing a brown pullover, Arizona noticed and almost cringed, not seeing that he was sitting practically two feet away from Callie Torres. It was only when she greeted Dwayne back that she noticed her. She sat down next to Dwayne, now almost facing Callie, who seemed completely engrossed in her thoughts. She was suddenly very aware of the other woman, and she caught herself feeling her heart start to speed. Calm down, Arizona Robbins, she scolded herself, trying to ignore the flutter in her heart. She needed a drink. Trish looked for the menu, and Arizona ordered a gin tonic. She took a sip and bit into the sour lemon, glad for the shock on her tongue. Nonetheless, she couldn't take her eyes off the beautiful woman. She was wearing her hair differently, Arizona noticed, the long black bangs sheltering her dark eyes from being seen.

Lexie Grey came in and sat down next to Callie, and Arizona had difficulty concentrating on her colleagues. Callie didn't look happy at all. She looked as if she was about to burst into tears, and Arizona's heart went out to her. She wondered what Lexie had said to make her so miserable. Only a few moments later, Callie abruptly left her bar stool, heading for the bathroom. What on earth did the girl say to her? She wished she could make Callie feel better, make her tears go away.

After a couple of minutes, she decided to follow Callie to the bathroom. She excused herself, almost amazed at her own boldness. What the hell was she doing? Suddenly, she felt very insecure. She paused for a moment in front of the bathroom door. She could hear her heart throbbing very loudly in her ears. She took a deep breath. When she finally entered the room, she saw Callie bent over the sink, looking in the mirror and wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. So she had been crying.

"Hey." Arizona said.

"Hey."

"Ortho, right?" she tried.

"Yeah. Right. Hi."

She forced a smile, not wanting to let show how nervous she was.

"I'm Arizona, Robbins. Peds surgery. I've seen you at the hospital." She saw Callie gasping.

"Are you ok?"

"You know I'm fine---fine." Callie finally turned around, and Arizona went on with a nervous smile.

"People talk. Where we work---talk, a lot. And for the sake of being honest I think that I should tell you---I know things about you." She gulped. "Because people talk."

For some reason she couldn't look Callie in the eyes, and she smiled again nervously.

"Oh." Callie's face fell. She took a deep breath, and looked at her with huge dark eyes. It was the first time Callie looked at her directly, and Arizona saw the sadness in her eyes. "You mean…"

Arizona nodded. She couldn't take her eyes off Callie's full lips, still quivering from being upset earlier.

"Terrific." Callie lowered her eyes.

"It is, actually", Arizona went on, deliberately ignoring the irony. Callie didn't seem to believe her. She leaned on the sink, arms crossed, now fully paying attention to Arizona.

Arizona tried to explain. She desperately wanted to make Callie feel better.

"The talk. People really like you over there. They respect you, and they're concerned, and interested, they really like you", she heard herself babble.

Arizona felt herself smile. She was still nervous, and her heart fluttered. She quickly went on.

"Some of them---", her voice was now almost only a whisper, "really like you."

She tried to smile again. Callie still looked upset, albeit calmer, when she nodded. Her face was still red from the tears.

"You just---you look upset. And I---and I thought that you should know, the talk is good."

Callie sighed, and Arizona went on. "And when you're not upset, when you're over being upset, there'll be people lining up for you." Her, definitely. Sadie, who knew? Maybe Mark Sloan, too.

She now looked into her eyes, making full eye contact with Callie.

Callie laughed in disbelief, and asked ironically. "You wanna give me some names…"

Arizona was now very aware of Callie's perfume. The scent was enticing, almost mind-numbingly so. She could almost smell her tears. She hesitated for a moment, and then leant over to the other woman, stroking her cheek with her hand, and kissed her very softly on the lips. Her lips tasted of salty tears and lipgloss. Finally, she broke away, feeling faintly dizzy. Oh God, she wanted more. More kissing, more of Callie.

She looked affectionately at Callie. "I think you'll know", she said slowly.

Arizona's heart was nearly bursting with happiness, and she gave Callie her broadest smile, revealing her dimples. Very slowly, almost hesitantly, Callie's expression changed from utter disbelief into an open smile. Her gaze still locked with Callie's, Arizona stepped back. She was positively beaming at Callie, feeling very pleased with herself. Then she turned and left the bathroom, still smiling.

Outside, Arizona leant against the wall. She couldn't stop smiling, and touched her lips with her right hand. Then she breathed deeply. She still felt her heart throbbing. Deliberately slowly, she went back to Dwayne and Trish, acting as if nothing had happened. She tried to smile noncommittedly at them, not sure she was capable of forming words just yet. Inside, she felt a radiating happiness, and wondered why the whole room looked much brighter all of a sudden.

When Callie came back from the bathroom, Arizona tried to sneak a look at her, but quickly looked away again, for fear of being too obvious. She forced herself to focus on Trish's story. A few moments later, Lexie and Callie stood up, and she watched them leave. Callie quickly turned back again, searchingly, and Arizona caught her look.

Oh yes, she was definitely, very much, looking forward to getting to know Callie Torres better.

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This is my very first attempt at story writing – please R&R. Thanks :-)

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	2. Restless

This is the background story to Arizona and Callie after their first kiss from Arizona's POV. Hope you enjoy!

(you tube .com/watch?v=pfrSPdt9NZs)

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She had been looking forward to getting to know Callie Torres. She had been excited. In fact, she still was. However, frankly, Arizona Robbins was also getting more and more impatient with any day that passed and nothing happened. After she had kissed her in Joe's bathroom, one day passed. Then a week passed, now two weeks--and still nothing happened. She wondered when Callie would be over being upset. She hadn't even been able to sneak a look at the orthopedic surgeon.

It almost seemed as if Callie was avoiding her. Yet, Arizona had hardly been able to take her mind off her. Callie. Calliope. Arizona thought about the name. Calliope seemed to fit her a lot better than Callie did. Ca-li-oh-pe. She liked the sound of it. Had she just said that aloud? Judging from her patient's questioning look, she had. Arizona smiled at the 10-year-old girl.

It had been a full two weeks. Two weeks was a lot of time for Arizona Robbins. She was not exactly a patient person. She had tried to set her mind on something else, with limited success. She had been out a lot, to Joe's and to a few other bars, and she had finally met a bunch of girls with whom she felt instantly comfortable.

Arizona couldn't believe her luck. All these months in Seattle she had wanted to meet some fun girls to hang out with, and when she least expected it, she met this girl in a bar. Anna was at Joe's with her girlfriend Karen, and when Anna accidentally bumped into Arizona, pouring her strawberry daiquiri on Arizona's shirt, they had quickly found out that they had a lot in common. Anna presented her to her friends. They were artless, open, and fun and Arizona felt for the first time in Seattle that she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

This was also how she met Julie. Julie was one of Anna's friends, and although Julie seemed a little shy, she made no secret of the fact that she was interested in Arizona. Arizona was flattered. Julie seemed like a nice and uncomplicated girl, and with her long brown hair and green eyes, she was very pretty. She was a pre-school teacher, who came just out of a long-term relationship with Anna's sister. If Arizona didn't have her mind set on Callie Torres, she might very well be interested in the pretty brunette.

A lot was going on in her life right now. Arizona was more than excited. She thought about Bailey, who was applying for a fellowship in peds surgery. She had decided to start a new life, a brave decision, and Arizona felt very proud of her. One day, Bailey would be big. She knew that Bailey connected well with the Chief, and hoped the Chief's recommendation would open her door to peds. Her current peds resident at Seattle Grace was an utter disappointment, but Bailey, even though she was harsh and blunt, had a lot of potential. Arizona was excited to work with her. Arizona looked at her watch. Oh no, 11 a.m. already. She glided along the smooth hallway on her Heelys. She was running late as so often.

When she spotted Bailey filling out the application, she stopped abruptly.

"This application is the start of a new life," she greeted Bailey and crossed her arms, bouncing on her toes to cushion her energy, a wide smile forming.

"How we feeling? Positive? Confident?" She looked expectantly at Bailey.

"I am good," Bailey said somewhat absently, fussing with her papers. Her clumsy curls were bouncing just like Arizona's. "Great. Uh, you take care of your own feelings."

Arizona frowned, puzzled. "Peds surgery is super competitive."

"I know, that's why I come armed with letters of recommendation that will put the competition to shame," Bailey told her, pride in her voice. "Look, Shepherd says that I'm talented and resourceful, Sloan finds it an honor to work with me everyday---"

"What about the Chief? What does the Chief think?" Arizona interrupted her, looking curiously for the Chief's recommendation.

"I'm still working on that."

"Bailey, the Chief's recommendation is the only one that matters." Arizona grew more and more agitated. "Everyone on the selection committee works---"

"I know!" Bailey raised her voice, annoyed by her worrying. "Jus-- You calm down. I got it under control."

"Good." Arizona looked intently at her. "Because speaking on behalf of me," she confessed, and smiled excitedly, showing her dimples, "we couldn't be more excited to have you. Yay!"

Then she glided on. She was running late for her surgery. Oh God, she hoped that Bailey was right. If she didn't have the Chief's recommendation, Arizona might end up with any resident. She didn't like that. She would much rather be able to decide for herself, and her choice would definitely be Bailey. She tried to cheer up and not to worry. Bailey was capable. She would get the Chief's letter.

Finished with her surgery, she had finally had the time to calm down a bit. She was just about to do some paperwork, when she heard a familiar voice next to her.

"Uh---hey."

She turned around and saw Callie Torres standing next to her, one hand on the nurses desk.

"Calliope." Her eyes lit, and a broad smile formed. "I haven't seen you around."

Callie gave her a broad smile. "Yeah---well, I've been avoiding you."

Arizona smirked. She crossed her arms and looked intently at her, her eyes sparkling with interest. She was intrigued what the dark beauty was going to say to her.

Callie quickly continued. "I know it's---it's so weird. You, uh, share a kiss with a woman you've never seen before."

Arizona nodded, serious now.

"Honestly, it's a new adventure---one I'm so ready to take for the second time."

Thoughts were swirling in her head. Second time? Oh please, this could not be happening to her.

"Anyway. Um---do you want to go on a date with me?" she heard Callie asking nervously.

Arizona froze. Her smile erased from her face and she let out an awkward laugh. She needed clarity.

"Wait---so Erica and you, she was your first?" she asked anxiously.

"Yeah." Callie smiled, but Arizona couldn't quite focus on Callie. She was dumbfounded. Erica Hahn was Callie's first girlfriend. No other women before. _No other woman before_, she repeated to herself.

"Oh." She tried to think, but she knew there was nothing to think. She had vowed never to make the same mistake again. She did not want to go through this again. No, she _would _not go through this again.

She managed to force a fake smile.

"Okay, then I guess my answer is--- no," she said lightly. "I'm sorry," she added quickly and turned around, about to walk off.

She felt Callie grabbing her arm. "Wait! Wait, wait--- what?" Callie held her back, staring at her, obviously confused. "You kissed me. Out of nowhere. In a bathroom." Callie frowned and let go of her arm, and Arizona could see she was utterly confused now.

She tried to explain. "Okay, see, this is what I tried to avoid. You're all exploring and experimenting and yay!" Arizona underlined her words with a gesture, her ponytail bouncing from the movement.

Callie was frowning. She didn't seem to get it. She really was new at this. Remembering the time when she had discovered that she loved women, Arizona explained. "This is a really exciting time for you---but I work in peds."

Callie was still frowning. Arizona elaborated, impatient. "I spend my entire day around newborns, so I try not to in my personal life."

Seeing the hurt in Callie's eyes, she looked at her. "Thank you for asking, though," she said honestly. "I'm super flattered. Super." She shot her an appreciative look and walked off quickly, a ghost of a smile on her mouth. This time, Callie didn't hold her back.

Back in her office, paperwork piling up on her desk, she sat down, displeased with herself. She had not meant to hurt the younger woman. Nevertheless, she was also determined not to change her mind. Arizona suddenly became angry with herself. Why did she always have to fall for younger women? Why did she fall for the complicated ones?

Her thoughts wandered back to her mentor in med school, the first woman she had fallen in love with. She had been super excited at this newfound love and the woman who was so sure of herself and her sexuality. For her mentor, though, it had been too much to handle. The older woman had been overwhelmed by Arizona's excitement, her liveliness and sexual insecurity. Sadly, the relationship had not lasted very long. Arizona had been heart-broken then, but a few relationships later, she understood her first love's feelings. After that experience, Arizona seemed to have reversed the roles. She felt attracted to younger women who tended to be unsure of their sexuality. She had guided them through their first sexual experience with a woman. She had been holding their hand when they were telling their parents and friends. She had experienced, more than once, how it felt to be left when the first excitement of dating a girl was over. She could not handle complicated anymore.

Arizona wondered if this was why Erica Hahn had left Seattle Grace. As far as she had heard, the older cardio attending had a reputation of being a hardcore and a kick ass surgeon. Somehow, Arizona couldn't picture her as unsure of herself. That would also fit the hospital rumors of Callie being involved with Mark Sloan. This had complicated written all over it.

No, Arizona knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted uncomplicated. She wanted uncomplicated passion, laughter, complicity, friendship, and above all, she wished for true love. She was a hopeless romantic.

Determined to forget Calliope Torres as soon as possible, she decided to text Julie if she was free for the night. Julie seemed uncomplicated, interested, and would probably be a fun date. Arizona was curious to know more about her. They hadn't had the chance to talk much yet.

When her last surgery for the day was finished, Arizona quickly showered and raced home, knowing she had only two hours to get ready for her date at Joe's. She didn't live far from Seattle Grace, but she wanted to look her best. She didn't need Callie Torres. She could have any woman she wanted. Tonight, she wanted Julie.

She peeled off her coat, put down her keys and checked the answering machine, as always. Julie had called and left a message that the girls were all going to be at Joe's tonight. Arizona was fine with that. She didn't need an official date with Julie. She was just looking forward to seeing her and the girls tonight. After this rough day, she needed a little fun and diversion.

She went to her closet, not sure what to wear. She tried on different outfits, but nothing seemed to be right. She was restless. Her wardrobe didn't seem to be equipped for that particular mood. Finally, she opted for black skinny jeans, sexy high heels and a clear blue asymmetric strappy top that matched her eyes. Her hair was particularly unruly today, so she decided to straighten it. Finally, she was pleased with her appearance. She could have any woman she wanted, she thought and grinned at herself in the mirror.

Arizona arrived at Joe's just in time, and she spotted Julie and the girls sitting at the bar. Julie looked very pretty indeed. Arizona got herself a drink, standing. Soon, she was engrossed in conversation with the green-eyed brunette when suddenly she heard the voice that had been haunting her for two weeks.

"I have experience to give."

Arizona turned around, surprised to see Callie standing behind her. She had not even noticed she was at Joe's tonight. "Calliope." She frowned.

"Life experience. Like the fact that I was married, did you know that? Or the fact that I was in the Peace Corps. Botswana. That's what convinced me to go to med school."

No, she didn't know that. Despite herself, Arizona was impressed. The Peace Corps, how hot was that! Guiltily, she shot a glance at Julie, embarrassed, but Callie continued.

"And most recently, I've experienced the joy of cooking. Yeah, I make an excellent chicken picatta. That in addition to many other delicious meals that you'd be lucky to experience yourself."

Arizona took another sip of her drink, looking at Callie.

"And the fact that you can't open your eyes to see that makes you---" Callie raised her drink to her lips, allowing Arizona to have a look at her fingernails carefully painted in black. "---a little inexperienced." _Look what you're missing_, Callie's eyes told her.

Arizona couldn't help but admire Callie's courage. However, she didn't quite know what to make of this and forced a smile. "Calliope." Her voice was actually shaking a little, when she pointed at the girl sitting next to her. "This is Julie."

Callie confidently looked at the slim brunette sitting on the bar stool and smiled. "Hi."

Arizona gave Callie an apologetic look, but was not able to meet her eyes again. She was not smiling now. "My date."

There was a moment of awkward silence. Arizona took another sip from her drink, still avoiding Callie's look, not knowing what to say. She was embarrassed, and angry. Callie turned around, obviously mortified, and put her glass on the bar before she quickly left. Arizona looked at Julie again. Julie didn't say anything.

Actually, Julie had not said much at all during the three quarters of the hour they spent together. Arizona had tried her best to get some information from the girl, but although Julie had been a very good listener and easy to talk to, Arizona would have liked to know a little more about her. Arizona tried not to let that deter her. She had been enjoying herself nonetheless. So Julie was a bit quieter than she had thought. Wasn't that a good thing?

When Callie left, Arizona tried to pick up the conversation, but she couldn't focus. She was confused and agitated, and definitely not in the mood for making conversation anymore. That had never happened to her before, and she wondered why this had affected her so much. Usually, she was not so restless. The first chance she got, she excused herself and left the bar.

It was still early when Arizona got home, not even 10 p.m. She didn't quite know what to do, and she was too agitated to read or to watch TV. After a few minutes of pacing in her apartment, she finally decided to go to the gym. She threw her shoes, jeans, and strappy shirt in the next best corner, joining the pile of fancy clothes she had tried on earlier today, and quickly put on her gym apparel. Then she grabbed her iPod, towel and water bottle and headed into the cold to her car.

The fresh air was exhilarant. Too bad it was too late to go jogging now. She would have welcomed the nocturnal air. When she arrived at the gym after a few minutes, Arizona went straight to the treadmill. She stayed on it for nearly one hour and a half, running steadily to the sound of her music, trying desperately to clear her head.

When she got home again, she was breathing heavily. She was exhausted. Pleasantly exhausted. Arizona quickly got rid of her wet clothes, stepping into the shower. She enjoyed the cool water on her sweaty skin, washing away the agitation of the day. Finally, slowly, Arizona was calm again. After what felt like an eternity, Arizona stepped out of the shower and towelled herself dry. She put on her nightdress and crawled into her bed.

Arizona closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She was dog-tired. If she had hoped for sleep to come easily, she was badly mistaken. Her thoughts wandered back to Julie and to Callie Torres. Calliope. She had wanted her date with Julie to work out, and she blamed Callie for ruining it.

Julie was genuinely nice and uncomplicated. Arizona had enjoyed their conversation immensely, even though Julie had turned out quieter than expected. They both worked with children, and they discovered that they shared the love of post-modern literature and foreign foods. Arizona loved to eat, but she hated to cook. She simply didn't possess the patience for it. So Callie enjoyed cooking, Arizona mused. Think of something else, she scolded herself. Of _someone_ else. Count your sheep.

She tossed and turned, not able to find the right spot on her pillow. The pale half moon was faintly shining on her weary face, leaving her eyes in the dark. Arizona stared blankly at the faint shadows on her duvet. She was angry with Callie Torres for invading her thoughts again. No, if she was completely honest with herself, she was angry with herself, for not being able to stop thinking of the orthopedic surgeon. Screw the woman for being different.

Callie had been in the Peace Corps. She tried not to picture Callie in Botswana, but without success. Pictures of Callie getting her hands dirty came to her mind. She had to admit, she had to admire Callie for her courage to walk up to her at Joe's. If she had ever thought her self-conscious, she would have to rethink. Callie had looked insanely hot and self-confident in her blood red shirt and black leather jacket, standing up to her, fighting for her attention.

Screw Callie Torres! Arizona almost grunted in frustration, wishing desperately for sleep to come, struggling to get the pictures of Callie in her red shirt off her mind. So much for not thinking about her. Maybe she should be giving Callie Torres a chance after all. With that, she closed her eyes, her lips slowly forming a relieved smile. Eventually, she fell in a deep, weary slumber.

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Thank you all for reading. Please R&R and let me know what you think.


	3. Maybe

_Author's note_: This one if for donnaxyz, who wanted "a peek at her living space [and to know] what color her sheets are and what kind of shampoo she uses. And what kind of cereal she eats for breakfast"

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When Arizona got home from the hospital, she was rather serene. She wasn't even hungry. She was only glad her shift ended early today so that she could actually enjoy the remains of the day instead of admiring the daylight only through the hospital's giant windows. She had a lot going on her mind right now, but overall everything went really well, for which she was grateful. But working in Peds was emotionally challenging, and Arizona always took care of getting her mind off her cases as soon as she left the hospital. She decided to go jogging in the park.

She put on her jogging apparel, stretched her muscles and then grabbed her iPod and headed outside. The sky was a clear blue. Arizona was looking forward to spring. Soon, it would be warmer and she would be able to be outside more often. She was an active person and enjoyed being outside. When she arrived at the nearby park after a few minutes, Arizona had already found her usual running pace. She stayed in the park for nearly an hour, running steadily. She was breathing heavily and sweating, but she felt pleasantly exhausted. The only thing she wished for now was a shower. Her legs were heavy from the exercise, and she slowly jogged home to the steady sound of Tegan and Sara.

When she got home again, she had a message from her sister Georgia on the answering machine. She decided to take a shower first and then call her sister back. She knew what her sister was going to talk about.

She entered her big bathroom, dropping her sweaty clothes on the clean marble tiles. Taking clean towels out of the closet and putting them in reach for later, she stepped into the shower. She welcomed the hot water on her skin and let the water flow over her it for what seemed an eternity, but was probably just a few minutes. She briefly stepped out of the stream of water to let her shower gel-covered hands glide over her body and then let the water wash away the remains of the creamy lather. She liked the touch of her hands and of the steamy water as it made her feel alive, even though she was almost in an exhausted trance now. Staring on the water drops on the semi-opaque shower enclosure, she suddenly felt very lonely. She was certainly not a lonesome person, but something was missing in her life. Someone. Flashes of a certain black-haired surgeon appeared in her head again, as she often had lately, and Arizona literally startled. It was true, there wasn't a day she didn't have these flashes, but she was suddenly very conscious again and quickly reached for the green transparent Organics shampoo bottle. She loved the faint lemongrass scent of it. When she was finished, she adjusted the water temperature to luke warm, enjoyed a last splash of water before she turned it off completely and stepped out of the shower. She reached for a small towel and rubbed her hair dry and then she wrapped herself in a big beige towel and put on a bathrobe.

She didn't bother to clean up the wet mess she had left behind on the bathroom floor; she would do that later. Instead, she climbed up the spiral staircase and went into her bedroom. She was very proud of her bedroom. Along with her kitchen, it was her favorite room of the apartment. It had turned out very well - the interior architect had done a good job. Arizona had wanted her whole apartment in light, warm and happy colors, to make a sharp contrast to the sterile hospital environment. The apartment was loft-like and very spacey. With its two above-ground floors, it was a actually a little too big for her alone, but Arizona had instantly loved the light-filled rooms and the big balcony, and she had become accustomed to having so much space to herself.

In the bedroom, the sun shed its last rays of light on Arizona's cream-colored Egyptian cotton sheets and the off-white duvet with pale apricot stripes. She glanced at the big framed Japanese movie poster of _The Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain _above her large bed. With its bright red color, the picture made a stunning contrast to the room's mostly clean creamy colors and gave the room a personal and intimate note. Arizona had loved the film ever since she had seen it on a spontaneous weekend trip to Paris with her sister.

Arizona briskly walked to her underwear drawer, leaving faint wet traces on the fluffy carpet. She opened the upper drawer, and her big towel dropped to the floor as she stared in dissatisfaction at what lied before her, a variety of different seamless cotton panties. She had a fondness of pretty lingerie and she would never leave the apartment in underwear that didn't match, but at work, she had to wear discreet and work-friendly underwear. Lately, she had only been wearing these. It had been some time that she had had a reason to put on any of the lovely pieces she owned, she thought sadly. On reflex, she untied her bathrobe sash and checked her reflection in the mirror facing her drawer. No change there, she was still desirable, she grinned to herself. She closed the drawer, opened the one beneath, revealing a variety of silk, satin, and sheer panties. Eyeing a black satin brief, her mind involuntarily wandered back to Callie Torres, and she grabbed the piece, caressing the cool material with her fingers. She quickly put the small black fabric on, not able to prevent her mind from lingering on the voluptuous surgeon again. What would Callie be wearing, she wondered. Red satin or silk? Yes, red would definitely be her color, she thought. Arizona would die to see her in red, she decided, and smiled. Or black. Or no underwear at all. She grinned. A mental image of Callie's belly button and her full breasts popped up in her head. Oh God, this insanity had to stop. She quickly closed the drawer and tied the sash of the light turquoise bathrobe back again.

Glancing at the big red picture of _Amélie_, Arizona recalled that she wanted to call her sister. She grabbed the phone and speed-dialed her sister's number.

"Hey sis--sorry, I meant to call you back earlier," Arizona greeted her. "How are you? And how's my favorite niece doing, still coughing?" she asked.

"No, everything's fine now, thank God. I was so worried, but I took her to Dr. Kinderman today. She's asleep now," her sister replied. "So, did you do it?"

"Did I do what?" Arizona feigned innocence.

"Oh come on, Zony, _please_!" Georgia's tone suddenly had frustrated undertone. "Don't tell me again you did _not _ask her. You promised."

Arizona mentally cringed. "Mmhmm. Okay, I didn't. Yeah I know. But uhm... I really don't know," she rambled. "One moment, I was so sure, but now, I just know it's the wrong thing to do."

"What's the matter with you? We've been talking about this all week. You've been rambling to me about _her _all week. In fact, I have never seen you so smitten," her sister said matter-of-factly. Georgia elaborated, "You told me about her big brown eyes, about the scent of her hair, about her lips, about her sexy voice, about how the woman rocks surgery. I mean it. I've never seen you so smitten. And so freaked out."

A deep blush crept up Arizona's cheeks. "I don't know, maybe. But I'm not freaking out." A hint of frustration coloring her voice, she explained again, "Georgie, she's bisexual. She's been with only one woman. And she avoided me for a week, how childish is that. Plus, she told me that she was ready to take this _adventure _again. An adventure! I really don't need adventures anymore." Why didn't Georgia understand? She was married with kids; she didn't want to have adventures anymore, either.

"Arizona Robbins, give the woman some credit," her sister insisted. "I remember how you called Iris an adventure, and yet you were in love with her. And if I remember correctly, you skipped class for a week and a half to avoid her after she did only so much as caressing your cheek." That was quite the truth, Arizona had to admit, remembering her initial insecurity. "Come on," Georgia continued, "after you turned Calliope down, she had guts and stepped up to you again. From all that you've told me, she's a keeper. If you're not careful, you will have lost her before you even get to know her. Who knows, maybe _she _will turn you down."

"Oh no, she wouldn't. She definitely wouldn't," Arizona said matter-of-factly.

"What makes you so sure?" her sister retorted. "She seems to have found her confidence again. You turned her down. There are other fish in the sea."

"No, she wouldn't turn me down. I mean, why wouldn't she say yes." Arizona was very sure of this. She had a lot to offer, she was successful, intelligent and beautiful. She was the one who turned other women down. She had never been turned down. Well, at least, not by any woman that mattered. And above all, she was worth more than just an _adventure_.

"You are being so self-righteous!" Georgia exclaimed, trying to sound serious yet fighting to hide the amusement in her voice. "Well then, what are you waiting for? Okay, I know. So, just hypothetically, if you decided she wasn't a newborn and you asked her out tomorrow, or this week, and she said yes. Where would you take her on a date?"

Arizona laughed. "Notat Joe's, at any rate. Bad dating memories." She grinned. After her date with Julie, they had gone back to just see each other when hanging out with the other girls. Not that she minded. It wasn't Julie she had been thinking about day and night after their date, but Calliope.

"So if she asked you out, what kind of date would you like her to take you on?" her sister insisted.

Arizona thought for a moment. Then her eyes sparkled suddenly. "You know what I've always wanted to see? A boxing match. Or mud wrestling." Or Calliope herself covered in mud, she thought, yes, she'd definitely like that. "I think I would love the atmosphere. I can totally see her boxing or kickboxing", she confessed. She pictured the other doctor getting aggressive and sweaty with a punching bag. Hot. Very hot.

Georgia laughed, guessing what her sister was really thinking. She agreed. "I'd love to see that too! Okay, promise me something? You gonna ask her?" she insisted again.

"I can't promise. Maybe." Arizona said evasively. "I'm still not convinced."

"Sorry, dear, I hear Amy coughing again. I'll call you later this week ok? Love ya."

"Love ya too. Bye." Arizona adored her sister and greatly appreciated her advice. She had been a very good listener when Arizona had confessed her feelings for the orthopedic surgeon, but despite her sister's insisting, and despite her undeniable feelings for the black-haired woman, she was still convinced that getting involved with Calliope Torres was a bad idea. A very bad idea, that was.

She looked at the clock. Oh, so late already. She wasn't so very tired yet, but tomorrow she was going to be on the early shift again, and she'd better be preparing her breakfast for tomorrow now and go to bed early tonight.

She went downstairs and put her phone back again on the base station. In the open layout kitchen, she prepared her breakfast for the next morning. She didn't like to rush in the morning, but preferred to sleep as long as possible. There were three things that she loved above all things, jogging, showering and sleeping. Sometimes Arizona wondered why anyone who loved sleeping as much as she did actually could have become a doctor. She smiled. When she saw the smiling eyes of her patients and their families, she knew that sleep wasn't everything. She took out a cereal bowl, a spoon and a matching coffee cup and carefully placed them on the granny smith green cotton placemat on the table, next to a glass bowl with fresh apples, bananas and peaches. Arizona loves peaches. She then took out a package of whole grain muesli cereals, placed it next to the cereal bowl and made sure after a look into the fridge that she had enough milk for coffee and muesli.

Time for bed. She went back upstairs, put on her nightdress and crept under the soft duvet. She was tired now after all, and she fell asleep almost the minute her head hit the pillow.

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The next day wasn't exactly Arizona's lucky day. She nearly overslept and had to skip breakfast. She hated skipping breakfast.

Still half asleep, she almost tripped over her jogging apparel from last night and the shoes that were still lying on her bathroom floor. Dammit. She kicked the shoes out of her way with her bare foot and winced. Ouch. Bad idea. She rubbed her toe.

When she arrived at the hospital a good quarter of an hour later, in time but still not fully awake yet, she realized she had put on mismatched shoes. She mentally flinched and hoped nobody had seen her in one black and one dark brown high-heeled shoe. To make matters worse, she had also run out of hair ties. The shoes were not a problem; she had at least three pairs of sneakers in her locker. She quickly kicked her mismatched high heels from her feet and put them into the locker. But there seemed to be a fourth dimension for hair ties, really, she was forever losing them. Normally, this wasn't a problem, but today no one was to be seen who could have helped her out. She shortly thought about asking Callie Torres, but quickly dismissed the thought.

She was determined not to think of her all morning, but all her good intentions were gone when she spotted Mark Sloan's back in the hallway. She could have sworn that he had just been talking to someone who might have been Calliope, but having skipped breakfast, she was maybe seeing things. Deliberately not looking their way, she tried to keep her mind focused on her schedule and rushed to her next patient. She really had to get her mind on something else.

Her mind was taken off the Latino surgeon when a young girl named Beth who had been suffering seizures caused apparently by epilepsy had been rushed in.

Karev was sure that he had discovered the real reason behind Beth's seizures. The girl was only seventeen, with no heart history. Doing a cardiac work up with an EP study, deliberately shock a perfectly healthy child's heart was a risky procedure, and she was very anxious that Karev was wrong. Karev was only a second-year resident, and seizures were chaotic. She would not let him kill the girl just because he panicked in the moment. The girl had been treated for epilepsy for six years, and it was unlikely that the diagnosis was wrong. Hunt was no help at all, but it was his case, and he left the call up to Karev.

Arizona worried about the girl. In the OR, she tried one last time to make sure that Karev was sure about shocking the girl's heart. At first, it seemed as if Arizona was right, but suddenly the monitor showed that Beth had indeed a heart problem. Arizona froze in shock. Now they could properly diagnose the girl. She had to give the young doctor kudos for sticking by what he felt was right. Karev saved the girl's life. If not for Karev, they would not have found the right diagnosis.

This was certainly humbling for her as a surgeon, Arizona thought wryly. She, the pediatric attending on call had been wrong, and the resident had been right. She had completely misjudged the situation, because she hadn't thought Karev capable enough to judge. She had misjudged _him_. She tried to push her low spirits away and see the good in the situation. The girl lived. Karev had done a hell of job. He was impressive for a resident, she had to admit. If he fixed that grumpy attitude of his, he might be the future of this hospital, she mused. He was certainly a young doctor to watch.

She was very exhausted already. She still hadn't had the chance to eat yet. She asked Hunt to accompany her to the cafeteria, and they ate in companionable silence, each of them letting their thoughts wander to a certain resident. Arizona was pretty sure what was on the major's mind. She was a good observer, and she had seen Hunt a few times exchange meaningful glances with Cristina Yang. Another resident to watch, she thought wryly. If they didn't pay attention, the residents would soon take control over the hospital, as Callie Torres had already over her heart.

If she had been wrong about Alex Karev, could she have also been wrong about Callie Torres? What if she had been wrong all the way, she wondered. She didn't know her that well after all, she had to admit, and Seattle Grace gossip might indeed not always prove the best source. Callie Torres had quite impressed her with her speech about chicken piccata and the Botswana Peace Corpse. Maybe she was a toddler already. Arizona smiled, and caught the major's inquiring look, but chose to ignore him. Could Callie really be into women now? Was it possible that she was serious about Arizona? What---What if Callie was into her, the way she was completely and utterly into Callie since the day she had laid eyes on her? Her mind was swirling. Georgia was right. She simply had to ask her on a date.

Arizona was glad when her shift ended. This wretched day hadn't seemed to end, and finally she could go home. In the locker room, Erin asked her if she wanted to accompany her and Dwayne to Joe's for a drink, but Arizona declined. Today, all she wanted was take a shower and sleep. Finished with her shower, she realized that the clothes she had put on this morning didn't quite match either. Well done, Arizona Robbins, she thought. She was glad she always had a change of clothes in her locker and put on a simple dark purple shirt with a low neckline that was designed for going out instead of going home alone. On impulse, she decided that maybe Joe's was exactly was she needed after all. Erin was about to leave and Arizona called her back, informing her about her change of mind.

"Meet me in the lobby in five," Arizona heard her calling.

Arizona searched in the deepness of her locker and came up with what she had been looking for, a fine gold necklace with a big glass pearl, which ended just above her low cleavage. She grabbed her black jacket, her black and brown high heels and after a very quick glance in the mirror, she tried to catch up with Erin.

As she ran to catch the elevator, Arizona had to suppress a grin when she noticed who was already in there. She briefly met Callie's eyes when she reached over to push the button, and quickly crossed her arms as if to mentally brace herself as she stepped next to Callie. The moment was awkward, she had to admit, and Callie seemed uncomfortable. So Arizona started to talk, not meeting the orthopedic surgeon's eyes.

"So…. I've had quite a day." The words tumbled out of her mouth, as she nervously looked at Callie. "Got my ass handed to me by Alex Karev, a second-year resident, which is humbling for a surgeon, especially a know-it-all type A." Having confessed this, she tried to catch Callie's look.

"We don't have to do this. We don't have to be friends," Callie interrupted her, now facing her and finally meeting her blue eyes. "It's a big hospital with lots of floors, lots of places to hide." Callie stared at the ceiling again, her arms now crossed as well.

"And I'm perfectly okay with doing that for the next few years."

Arizona slightly frowned and pressed her lips together, understanding. She had never meant to make Callie uncomfortable, and the younger woman was clearly uncomfortable. She tried to clarify. "You're not hearing me Calliope. Sometimes I panic in the moment and I call it wrong. I misjudge a situation." She knew she was talking to the elevator door instead of to Calliope, but she didn't care. This wasn't one of her finest moments. She tried to sound as casual as possible. "So if you're up for it, I'd like to take you to dinner."

She slightly tilted her head, looking oddly endearing and vulnerable with her milky throat so exposed to Callie. She waited patiently, confident of victory.

A few seconds passed. The elevator bell chimed.

Callie turned to her, seemingly considering the option, but not quite.

"Maybe." With that, Callie strode out of the elevator.

Arizona blinked in confusion. Her heart suddenly seemed to skip a heartbeat. Incredulously, she stared at the woman standing in front of her and stuttered: "Maybe?"

Her arms still crossed, Callie turned around to face her. "Yeah, my schedule is kind of insane right now." She shrugged nonchalantly. "So I'll uhm get back to you."

_Get back to her?_ She was dumbstruck, and her neck involuntarily did a little swivel. Before she could even realize what just happened, the elevator doors opened again, revealing a determined arm.

"How's ahhhh… tomorrow?" Callie looked at her.

Relief washed through her. Grateful, she briefly closed her eyes before she caught Callie's look. A beaming smile lit up her face.

Their eyes still locked, Callie gave her a flashing smile back, making her excited, hopeful heart beating faster and faster.

Maybe…

Maybe, _hopefully_, this was going to lead to much more than just an adventure.

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Thank you for reading. Please R&R and let me know what you think.

7


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